Playlist Friday: Black History Month in Canada

Our playlist this week is in honour of Black History Month. I have updated the playlist from last year with some new tracks from some of our fabulous musicians in Canada. The theme of Government Canada’s Black History Month campaign is Black Canadian Women: Stories of Strength, Courage and Vision so the playlist starts off with tracks from SATE, Bonjay, Zaki Ibrahim, Tanika Charles, Cold Specks, and Ruth B. These women can certainly tell their stories with song very well. The rest of the playlist is mostly tracks by men in which they certainly talk about women often (not always in a way I would like). There is a lot of great music from very talented artists though and that I can get behind. The music in the playlist had me dancing in my chair often while putting it together. I hope it moves you in some way too.

People of African descent have been a part of shaping Canada’s heritage and identity since the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa, a navigator and interpreter, whose presence in Canada dates back to the early 1600s.

The role of Blacks in Canada has not always been viewed as a key feature in Canada’s historic landscape. There is little mention that some of the Loyalists who came here after the American Revolution and settled in the Maritimes were Blacks, or of the many sacrifices made in wartime by Black Canadian soldiers as far back as the War of 1812.

Few Canadians are aware of the fact that African people were once enslaved in the territory that is now Canada, or of how those who fought enslavement helped to lay the foundation of Canada’s diverse and inclusive society.

Black History Month is a time to learn more about these Canadian stories and the many other important contributions of Black Canadians to the settlement, growth and development of Canada, and about the diversity of Black communities in Canada and their importance to the history of this country. (source: Government of Canada)

Watch the video below to learn a little about Harriet Tubman and her place in our history. Pretty incredible woman.

And now for the music! Here it is on Spotify and a similar version of it in a YouTube playlist as well. Enjoy!